Wanderlust
by bookaddict209
Summary: "She likes to explore," Ciel said, watching the snow fall. "She likes to find new, interesting things. But if she get's bored, she'll leave. Even if it means leaving others behind."  Rated T for future chapters
1. They Meet

**This is my attempt at a new story, and also a bit of an experiment with third person omniscient writing. I saw the commercial for the movie 'Wanderlust,' and I absolutely fell in love with that word. It's just such a cool word; wander-lust. Anyway, I'll leave my logophilic tendencies at the author's note and get on with the story!**

**PS- I'm trying to be more descriptive, so when the characters I made come in, I took care to describe them in detail. I really wanted to create a vivid mental picture, but let me know if it's too much!**

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The festival on the frozen Thames River was a London tradition; but the festivities being held this year were staggering in number, and the celebration hadn't been as large as it was in over 60 years.

It was for that reason and that reason alone that Ciel Phantomhive decided to schlep all the way out to the frozen river in the dead of winter.

He and Sebastian were walking the perimeter of the festival, looking around at the stalls. They'd only been there for about twenty minutes, and already Ciel was severely disgusted by the quality of the products he's seen. The next festival they had, he would be certain to set up a Phantomhive booth; they would make a killing.

The pair had just passed a booth selling large sticks of meat when they bumped into their old detective friend, Abberline.

"Ciel-kun!" he cried, surprised.

"Ah, inspector," he said. "How interesting to see a detective so carefree. The city must be in a state of utter peace."

"No, actually, I'm here about a case," the insulted inspector retorted.

"Well then, you'd better get back to work and put the city's tax dollars to good use. Good day, inspector."

Ciel and Sebastian began to amble away, but the inspector reached out to stop them. After a stinging slap from the butler, inspector Abberline stood on the ice rubbing his hand.

"Actually, it's funny that I ran into you. I need your help."

"The Shard of Hope? It's been stolen?"

"Yes," the detective said, taking a sip of his tea. "It was being transported when the cart was ambushed by brigands. We have a source that tells us that there was a double-crossing in the hand off. There was a struggle for the ring and the thief ended up missing. We were hoping you could use your influence to help us find out some information."

"Leave it to me," Ciel boasted, "and I'll have your thief and your ring by sundown."

Sebastian took that to mean that he'd better have the ring by sundown.

"There's only one man I know of who has information on crooked dealings," Ciel said, standing. "We should go there first."

As it turns out, they didn't have to go very far.

"So tell me again why you had a stall set up here?" Ciel asked as the undertaker led them through the crowds. When Ciel and the inspector had walked in through the entrance of his tent, the undertaker had simply led them back outside, saying he would lead them to the information they wanted.

"With all the deaths from frostbite going around, I'd be a fool not to set up a stall here, I would," he answered. "I've had so much fun, prettying up all my customers. That's how I know where to find your precious ring."

He wove them through throngs of Londoners until they came to the center of the ice. There, a large ice sculpture of their beloved queen stood, a testament to their everlasting loyalty to the crown.

"Look closely," Undertaker crowed, pointing to the top of the figure.

No doubt Sebastian saw it the moment he pointed, but it took the humans a bit longer to see. When they did see, however, all they could do was gawk.

_How in the world had the Shard of Hope been __**carved into a statue of ice**_? Ciel thought, mind reeling. _Surely someone would've seen it and wondered how it got put into the river!_

"This is most problematic," Sebastian said, putting a finger to his chin. "There's no way to get the ring off in secret, and doing so publicly would most certainly attract the criminals responsible."

"Then we'll commandeer the statue and take it to headquarters, where we'll break it apart," Abberline said, looking around to find the one in charge of such matters.

It wasn't as easy as they thought it would be, however; the sculpture was being given away in a completion, and the judges refused to comply with the inspector. There was no other option than to enter the contest and win, for the sake of solving this case. Abberline and his lackeys entered the contest; Ciel ordered Sebastian to enter, because Ciel knew good and well Abberline didn't stand a chance.

When Ciel stepped up to write Sebastian's name, however, he saw names he hadn't seen in years.

_It can't be_, he thought, shocked. He quickly penciled in Sebastian's name and hurried away from the booth, trying to hide his outrage. Sebastian noticed, though; mostly by the flush in Ciel's cheeks and the nervous way he looked over his shoulder every five seconds.

He didn't have much time to dwell on the matter, however, because the contest was about to start. Over the course of one hour, the contestants were to build a sculpture from the blocks of ice they'd been given in any form they wanted. Having already discussed the inherent arrogance of the story of Noah and the Ark that morning, Sebastian had a wonderful idea for a sculpture.

When the signal was rung and the contestants put down their chisels, the judging began. It was almost too easy; the inspectors collected a meager five out of a possible fifty, and Lau was disqualified for the lewdness of his statue (although he did receive a ten from that pervert Lord Druitt.)

Sebastian had created a wonderful statue of the Ark, a hulking sculpture of the boat in all its resplendence. He would've been the obvious winner but, being Sebastian, he had to go above and beyond for his Master. When the sun had melted just enough of the roof, he snapped, and the sound waves from that one action were strong enough to split the ice and make the outer shell of the sculpture fall away. Inside the Ark were perfect representations of the pairs of animals, so artfully spawned they looked almost alive.

Of course, he received a perfect score.

There were two more contestants to be scored, but one team had dropped out before the judging began, so their half-finished entry was disqualified. That left only one group, the self-dubbed 'Wanderlust' team.

The girl standing by the sheet was a diminutive child, about Ciel's age. She was breathtaking, with curly red hair and deep green eyes; she looked like a cherub that had come alive one day and walked out of the cathedral. But most striking about her was her clothing. In this day and age, it was only appropriate for young women to wear dresses, but she was wearing a pair of gray pants, meant for a boy of the same size. She also wore a small, button up gray jacket and gray earmuffs. Her hands were encased in a gray hand muff.

The judge approached with a sad expression. "Sorry, little lady, but that one's going to be hard to beat!"

"I wouldn't count on that," she said confidently, her lilting voice indictive of a slight Irish accent.

"Ah, the girl has fire! Alright, let's see what you've got!"

She gently grasped the sheet. "I give you, from team Wanderlust, the Queen's Court!"

She pulled the sheet away. The entire crowd gave an audible gasp.

The sculpture was modeled after the Queen's castle, tall and theatrical while still being regal. The ice had been stressed and chiseled to look like the granite blocks the castle was constructed with, and around the bottom, frostbite had been deliberately allowed to form to look like grass. In the center of the masterpiece were two large doors that sat on real working hinges, so they could be opened and closed. The thinner ice had been molded into the ivy and flowers famous for creeping up the side of the actual castle, and they framed the sides of the stature and curled around sides before gently touching the ground and creating a sort of garden at the base of the sculpture.

It was as though the artist had gone to the Queen's castle in the springtime and captured it perfectly with ice.

Sebastian and his Ark were quickly forgotten. The judge gently pulled on the handles of the door, delighted to find they did in fact open, and walked through it. It was an archway, but the front of it had been so carefully constructed that the judge admitted he'd been expecting to walk into the castle. A small but brave little boy in the front of the crowd asked if he could walk through the arch. After that, the entire crowed gathered around, everyone trying to take a walk through it.

Sebastian reluctantly came back to Ciel's side, his pride wounded. How was it that a mere group of humans could best him, a demon? He would quickly become the laughingstock of Hell if this got out. "Forgive me," he said, bowing his head. "I have failed, Master."

"No," Ciel said softly, his eyes never leaving the sculpture of the castle. "I knew you wouldn't win the moment I laid eyes on that girl."

This surprised Sebastian. "My lord? What would make you think that?"

There was a beat of silence before he answered. "I know her."

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When the initial excitement had died down, the press demanded to get an interview with the girl and all of her teammates for the papers. While they waited for the team to assemble, they asked her how she had ever thought of such a wondrous idea for a sculpture.

She laughed. "Oh, no," she said. "This was not my idea. I was the one who volunteered to represent the group, that's all."

"Then who is the mastermind behind the statue?" an inquisitive reporter asked.

The girl looked over her shoulder. "That would be _her_."

A group of four teenagers was coming around a row of tents, two boys and two girls. Three of them were wearing outfits identical to the girl's; in a word, gray.

One boy was tall, wearing a large coat that was a bit baggy on him, but Ciel knew from experience that a baggy coat meant more room for hiding things. He was wearing a newsboy hat with his outfit, but when he looked up, he had on a smart-looking pair of glasses. They were thin enough that his shrewd eyes with their piercing gray color showed through. The monochrome color scheme on his outfit only made his eyes stand out more; his dark gray hair wasn't helping any, either.

The second boy had on pretty much the same thing, but he had his hood up instead of a hat. His face was small and cherubic, much like that of the Irish girl's. His short, blonde hair poked out of his hood, and his blue eyes were alight with excitement. He reminded Ciel of Finny almost instantly.

The only girl wearing gray had curly brown hair and soft brown eyes. She was wearing the same sort of outfit the Irish girl had on, but her jacket was more of a poncho. She wore no earmuffs, instead choosing to show off the three piercings she had on each ear. Such a radical look would never be accepted in England, but if this girl knew that, she didn't care. Of all the teenagers in the group, she was the only one he'd never seen before.

The last girl in the group was the _her_ the Irish girl had spoken of, and the one person Ciel had been hoping he wouldn't' have to see.

It would be obvious to any idiot that this girl was the ringleader. While everyone else had on gray in varying styles and shades, she wore black. Her jacket was a tight fitted, double-breasted coat that clung to her form like a second skin. Her pants were practically leggings, and they went straight down into a pair of menacing, black combat boots. Her hair was the color of fresh wheat, and it tumbled out of the black knit cap she had on her head and went down to the middle of her back. Her eyes were stark blue and merciless, just the way he remembered them.

And he hadn't seen this girl in a long time.

The reporters swarmed around them, excited to learn where this genius had been, and did she have any other works out there? She answered their questions with the air that this that nothing she hadn't seen before.

"Why 'Wanderlust'?" one reporter asked.

She smiled. "The term 'wanderlust' is one that refers to the desire humans have to travel, to seek out new things, and go wherever the wind takes them. My friends and I have traveled through much of Europe, and we plan to see much more. We learned about this term when traveling through Germany, and it stuck. I can think of no better word to describe us."

That Ciel believed. Back when he'd known her, she'd always gotten into trouble for wandering off and disappearing for days.

"How did you ever come to recreate the scene of the castle in spring so realistically?" another reporter asked.

"It's not too hard to do once you've been there," she said simply.

None of the other teammates spoke. On the contrary, they seemed happy for their leader to answer for them. Each time a question was directed at them, they looked to the girl and waited for confirmation before answering in tones too quiet for Ciel to hear from where he was standing.

After the reporters left with their information, Abberline ran forward.

"Sorry to bother you young children," he said. "But I have to insist that you allow us to take that statue."

"But it's ours," the blonde boy with the hood said. "We won it."

"Now, now, Mark," the leader said. "Let's let the inspector finish. What is so important about this statue that Scotland Yard has gotten involved?"

"My colleagues and I," Abberline said, pointing to Ciel and his butler, "believe that statue could help us in solving our latest case."

Her eyes followed his finger until they found Ciel's. He twitched; he hadn't looked into these eyes in almost six years.

Her eyes prickled with interest. Without another word to the inspector, she began walking toward him. The rest of her group fell behind her. Abberline watched her go, thoroughly confused.

Ciel wanted to turn and walk away, but to show cowardice in front of this particular person was unacceptable. Despite his instincts, he stood his ground and watched her approach unerringly with his good eye.

She continued to walk toward him until they were only about a foot or so apart. Ciel was unhappy to see that, while he'd only grown about two feet since they last saw each other, she'd gained at least three. She actually had to look down at him to acknowledge.

"Ciel Phantomhive," she said, her voice silky. "It's been a long time."


	2. They Talk

**This is part two of what was originally the same chapter. I would've had this posted yesterday, but something was glitched up in my account -_-;.Anyway, on with the story!**

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The inspector ran up to the two teenagers, awestruck. Lau and Ran Mau spontaneously appeared from their nearby tent (although Ciel had no idea how he heard that from in there). The Undertaker, who had been standing idly by, smiled in his usual shark-like way at this new development. Even Sebastian looked surprised.

"That it has," he replied, ignoring the onlookers. "I take it by the names I saw on the sign-up sheet that you are now a Celine? Or is Francesca your new alias?"

She smiled, but there was a hint of malice in her expression. "How sweet; you remembered."

"How could I forget? You changed your names as often as you pleased when we were children. I still remember being pinched when I called you by the wrong one."

She laughed at that. "I remember doing that. You'd do well to remember that my name is Francesca now, lest I pinch you again."

She pointed over her shoulder at the girl with the piercings. "_That's_ Celine. We picked her up in Germany. And I assume you remember the others?"

"It's hard to forget a face, but I am sorry to say their names are foggy," Ciel answered.

"That's Mark," she said, pointing to the boy with the hood. "The one with the hat is Paul. And the redhead is-"

"Effie," he interrupted. "Yes, that name I remember." It was her name he'd seen on the sign up sheet, and the one that he'd put together with Francesca's.

"You two know each other?" the inspector asked unnecessarily.

"Ciel and I attended the same school as children," Francesca answered, putting her hands in her pockets.

Sebastian did some quick figuring in his head and realized that this girl must be of noble birth as well, if they'd had the same level of education growing up.

"What are you doing back here?" Ciel asked. _And how long is it going to be before you leave_? He thought mentally.

"Wander lusting," she answered. "We traveled around Europe for six years, and Paul was feeling a little homesick. We decided to spend a bit of time back in the Motherland before heading off to the Americas."

The news that she wanted to lead the group off the continent surprised Ciel. He'd always known Francesca to be adventurous, but she'd always kept it close to home. "And what about the ice contest?"

She gave him a one shouldered shrug. "We were here, and it looked like fun."

"Speaking of the contest," the inspector jumped in. "We'll need to take that statue down to headquarters."

"No," Mark said vehemently. "You can't have it. It's not yours; you didn't win it."

"I understand that, but-"

Francesca cut off the inspector. "Just let them take it, Mark," she said. "We already got what we wanted."

He looked like he wanted to protest more, but Francesca sent him a meaningful glance. He closed his mouth and nodded.

Abberline snapped and ordered his two men to take the statue. The inspectors hauled the statue away.

"Well then," Abberline said. "I'll take my leave. See you, Ciel-kun."

The tips of Ciel's ears went cherry red as he left. Francesca cocked an eyebrow.

"Ciel-_kun_?"

"Oh, shut up," he grouched. She smiled.

"Francesca," Celine said quietly. "It's almost two."

"Ah, that it is," she said. "We must get going, or we'll be late. I hope to see you again sometime, Ciel."

She gave him a coy smile before turning and leaving. Just like before, the rest of the group followed behind without asking any questions.

"That girl is rather interesting, she is," the undertaker cawed as she walked away. "I never thought I'd see the day Butler-kun was bested, especially by a mere child!"

Yes, Sebastian never thought he'd see such a day either. His tone was laced with jealousy as he said, "Yes. Just who is that child, Master?"

"An old friend," Ciel murmured, watching them go. "That's all."

He was going to order Sebastian to take him straight home when Abberline ran back up to him, out of breath.

"The ring!" he cried. "It's gone!"

Ciel immediately whipped his head around, certain he knew who the culprit was.

Francesca turned back and looked at him. She winked and brought her finger to her lips, making an expression that said _wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more._

On her index finger sat the Shard of Hope.


	3. They Go to the Park

**I feel like I should point out here that there is no accurate timeline here. I won't be following the timeline the same way the manga does, so if they meet Soma and Agni and then a week later go to Viscount Druitt's house, just now that's why! **

**On with the show!**

**PS- I own nothing.**

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Almost a week had gone by since the incident on the Thames, and since then, Sebastian was noticing strange changes within his master. Any and all errands that did not explicitly demand Ciel's presence were made without him. All the necessary product testing was to be done at home. And whenever Abberline needed help with another case, Sebastian was instructed to politely decline.

This did not mean Ciel was unproductive, however; he spoke with his spies who lived in the ghettos and picked information up off the streets, he developed a new product for his company, (a green apple sucker dipped in caramel, for that caramel apple taste year round,) and sealed a deal with an Italian businessman who visited him at his home.

Still, Sebastian worried about his master. Ciel had never been entirely athletic, but even he saw the value in going outside and getting fresh air. When Sebastian went to serve Ciel his afternoon tea that Friday, he couldn't help but notice that he was more pallid in color than usual.

"My lord," Sebastian ventured. "I don't wish to overstep my bounds, but perhaps you should take a day off and spend some time outside. You have been working tirelessly as of late, and you are becoming quite pale."

"I see no reason to leave the mansion," Ciel said, not bothering to look up from his papers. "Everything that needs to be taken care of is being handled efficiently."

Sebastian contemplated for a moment before asking, "This wouldn't have anything to do with _That Girl_, would it, master?"

Sebastian had taken to referring to Francesca as _That Girl_ since the 'incident'. He was still bitterly envious of her triumph at the ice sculptures contest; sometimes he stayed up with chisels and leftover ice from dinner, refining his skills so his ego would never again have to take such a blow.

But what he didn't understand was _how_ exactly she'd bested him. He'd been close enough to feel if she was some sort of otherworldly creature, and he'd felt nothing; either she had one hell of a shield around her aura, or Sebastian was going to have to accept the fact that he lost to a _human_.

"Certainly not," Ciel replied hotly. "What Francesca chooses to do in her spare time is entirely her business, and it has no bearing on mine."

Sebastian took note of the blush coloring Ciel's cheeks and decided not to believe him.

"Look, we shouldn't dwell on Francesca any longer. Do you have the mail?"

Sebastian produced the aforementioned envelopes. Ciel went about sifting through the mail, tossing the ball invitations over his shoulder. He was almost finished with the stack when, at the bottom of the pile, he found a plain white envelope with the telltale wax seal holding it together.

_My Dearest Ciel,_

_I trust that you are doing well. I heard from our young detective friend that there was a fair bit of excitement at the Thames River Festival; such a shame I couldn't be there for myself. You proved yourself to be most helpful, and to that end, I have a mission for you._

_The Shard of Hope ring was being sought after by the authorities because we believe it is a major piece of evidence in the recovery of over twenty young women. We've done a thorough investigation on the matter and have discerned that almost all of these disappearances occurred at the same place, Covington Park. We'd like to see the location for ourselves and have a sit in, but having police milling around the park would make the criminals suspicious, and I myself can't be there for obvious reasons._

_All I require is that you visit this park for a day and tell me what you find. Check the park for places one could escape from without being seen. Keep your eyes open for suspicious characters. And report anything you see back to Abberline._

_From Your Loving Mother Figure,_

_Her Majesty Queen Victoria_

_Transcribed by Her Majesty's Personal Knight Ash Landers _

Which is how, two days later, Ciel found himself at Covington Park. His cover was that he was there for a picnic with Elizabeth, a decision he'd made to look less conspicuous.

"Oh, Ciel, Ciel, look, these flowers are just _beauuuuuuuuuuuutiful_! We have to have these at our wedding, it would make the reception so _cuuuuuuuuuuuuute!_ Oh, and look at that, those people are in a rowboat! C_ieeeeeeeeeeeeeee_l, we _haaaaaaaaave_ to do that, it looks like it's _soooooooooo_ much fun! Have I told you about my new dress yet? It's red with white lace at the bottom of the sleeves and- Ciel, are you listening? _**Ciiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel!"**_

It was a decision he was regretting.

"Elizabeth, please," he said as they sat on the blanket Sebastian had laid out. "I've told you before, this is a mission from Her Majesty. I can't get on the boat with you; I need to do my job."

She sniffed. "Just because this is a mission doesn't mean we can't have a picnic together. We'll be here all day; I certainly think you'll have time to eat a decent lunch with your fiancée."

Ciel was tired of this discussion and didn't feel like arguing. If Elizabeth wanted to have a stupid lunch, then fine; so long as he got his work done for the queen, he didn't care anymore.

Before they ate, Ciel went to lead Elizabeth around to look at the stalls set up while Sebastian scoped out areas for one to make a quick getaway. He felt a moment of déjà vu; isn't this exactly how his visit to the Thames started?

He let Elizabeth tug him through the stalls and point out all the _cuuuuuuuuuuuuute_ things she saw there. He wasn't even paying attention; he was glancing out his peripherals for suspicious characters. He saw plenty of idiotic faces trying to push their slipshod products on them, but no one who struck him as a kidnapper.

He almost fell over when he bumped into Elizabeth, who had stopped walking for no apparent reason. "Say, Ciel," she said quietly, her voice completely devoid of its usual squeakiness and shrill quality that made dogs everywhere go wild. "I've been wondering. Is everything alright with you?"

This was news to Ciel; he didn't think she ever thought about anything other than new dresses and unleashing some new ungodly mess of pink on his mansion. "Yes, of course; what would make you think otherwise?"

"Well," she said. "You've been more distant that usual, and Sebastian tells me you've been refusing to leave the mansion for weeks. And then when you didn't respond to my letter…"

Now that he thought about it, he did remember seeing Elizabeth's name on one of his envelopes yesterday, but he'd tossed it over his shoulder without a second glance. She sent him little letters over everything, and rarely, if ever, did he read them. It wasn't that he didn't care, but he didn't see the value in wasting ten minutes of his time reading a letter about a pretty pink parasol.

"I apologize," he said, gently touching her shoulder. "I've just been so busy, you know, with the company."

She sent him a disbelieving glance. She knew just how busy the company could get, but she also knew full well how much Ciel loved to dump work on those below him. Even if work had increased, there's no way it would've affected Ciel like this.

Ciel saw the disbelief. He would've just brushed it off and let her think it was her own imagination run wild, but he never had been comfortable lying to her. Lizzie was, after all, his fiancée and his cousin. In the worst of situations, he'd end up having to go through with the marriage, and he didn't want to have to keep lying for the rest of his lie.

So he told her the truth. Tips of his ears flaming, he muttered, "And also…..Francesca's back in town. I didn't want to risk running into her."

Elizabeth just looked at him. "Who?"

_Oh, yeah,_ Ciel thought, _different name._ He tried to remember who exactly she'd been before disappearing one final time. "Marceline?"

Nope.

"Imogene?"

Still nothing.

He racked his brain; who had she'd been when meeting Elizabeth for the first time? _"….Luna?"_

Her face lit up. "Luna? You mean Luna from St. Margaret's? Where has she been all this time?"

"Cavorting around the greater part of Europe, apparently," he said. He was unhappy to hear the bitterness in his voice.

If Elizabeth heard it, however, she said nothing about it. "Oh my goodness, _Luna_! I can't believe she's back!"

She suddenly grabbed his arm. "Oh, I know! Let's have a tea party and invite her! Isn't that a brilliant idea?"

"No," he answered without thinking. The look on her face had him backtracking quickly.

"I mean, Francesca doesn't strike me as the kind of girl who goes to tea parties," he stammered. "And besides, it's not just her who's back; they all came back."

Elizabeth's exalted expression told Ciel this was the wrong thing to say. "Everyone came back? Then we _definitely_ have to throw a party! It'll be a welcome back party for all of them!"

Ciel did not like where this conversation was going at all. "Elizabeth please, I don't think this is the best idea."

She didn't even hear him. "We have to get Sebastian to make those little cookies he made for me that time! Oh, and we'll need rose tea!"

She turned to go and buy some, but then stopped short again with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Wait. Did you say you've been avoiding Luna?"

He balked; he'd kind of been hoping she wouldn't remember that part.

She giggled delicately into one of her gloves. "Dear Ciel, You aren't still _afraid_ of her, now are you?"

Had it been any other question, he wouldn't have bothered with an answer; however, such a blow to his ego was unacceptable.

"_Absolutely not!"_ he declared hotly. "I have nothing to fear from the likes of her!"

"Then it's settled," Elizabeth cried, pirouetting on the toes of her shoes. "The first of the new month, we'll have a grand tea part of my house!"

He had to give her credit; he'd walked right into that one.

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When at last Sebastian returned, he found an irate Ciel and more animated Elizabeth. Not for the first time, Sebastian wondered how naïve Ciel had been when he'd agreed to this marriage.

He returned to his master's side and quickly told him of his findings. "There are two well-hidden escape paths deep within the forest that surrounds the park. They're both quite winding, and they both lead to hidden back alleys in the outer city."

"How well hidden?" Ciel asked.

"I almost missed them, my lord," was the reply.

Ciel knew that if Sebastian had almost walked past the trails, then they had to be damn near invisible. Ah well, it wasn't his problem.

"Report your findings to her majesty when we return to the manor," he ordered.

Sebastian bowed in reply and began to lay out the picnic. While he did, Elizabeth asked him to make a batch of cookies for an engagement on the first of the new month. He inquired as to what kind of engagement.

"A welcome back party!" she declared, smiling brightly. "For Luna!"

"Luna?" he asked, pouring Ciel a glass of lemonade. "And who might that be?"

"You know," Ciel murmured. "_That Girl_."

Ciel knew Sebastian would have a negative reaction to this, but he hadn't expected him to snap his glass by its neck.

"Sebastian!" Ciel cried, wiping his shirt in an effort to dispel the lemonade drops that had fallen there.

"My sincerest apologies, my lord," Sebastian apologized, grabbing a napkin out of the lunchbox and leaning over to dab at his master's shirt.

When he did, Ciel hissed, "This kind of lapse in etiquette is unacceptable. When we are at this party in March, I order you to keep your temper in check!"

If Sebastian had been at all capable of disobeying any of his contract holders' orders, this was it. Even though he'd only know the girl for all of two minutes, he already despised her with every fiber of his being. Still, he couldn't disobey Ciel without breaching his contract, so he reluctantly acknowledged it. "Yes, my lord."

The rest of the picnic was mercifully over quickly, and the moment Elizabeth had the last bit of food in her mouth, Sebastian had the blanket folded and the lunch basket in one hand. Ciel helped her to her feet and together the three of them walked to the entrance of the park.

On the way there, a thought occurred to Ciel; how was Elizabeth to deliver the invitations? She didn't know where they lived. For that matter, neither did he. If she didn't know their address, she couldn't send any invitations. That thought cheered him.

"Ciel? Is that you?"

He stopped and turned. Effie and Celine were there, both carrying large bags filled with groceries.

_OH BLOODY HELL,_ he thought.

"Effie!" Elizabeth cried. "How lovely to see you again!"

"Well, if it isn't Lady Elizabeth. We haven't seen you in ages. How have you been?"

"Wonderful, just wonderful! It's quite fortunate that I bumped into you, actually. Ciel was just telling me that Luna was back in town, and I've decided to throw you all a welcome back party!"

"Really!" Effie cried. "How nice!"

_Why didn't she correct Elizabeth?_ He wondered.

"It's the first of the month, at two o'clock," Elizabeth told her. "So make sure you're there on time!"

"I'll be sure to pass the message on to the rest of the gang," she said.

"Oh, wait, you need my address," Elizabeth said, patting her pockets. "Just let me find a piece of paper…"

"No need," Effie said. "I remember where your mansion is." She recited the address aloud, much to Elizabeth's surprise.

"Wow, Effie, I can't believe you remembered! You're so smart!"

She smiled a bit. "St. Margaret's wouldn't settle for anything less. Anyway, we must be going. See you on the first of March, at two o'clock."

Effie flicked her eyes over to Ciel. "You as well."

As Ciel watched the two girls walk away, he knew, without a shadow of doubt, that the first of March was going to suck _big time_.


	4. They Party

**Hello, I'm back! Sorry about the long wait, but I wanted the party to be interesting, and for the longest I was having the hardest time trying to figure out what they would do at the party. I hope you like what I came up with. **

**PS-I don't know how to play poker, I just took what I knew from that one scene in the Parent Trap where the Lindsey Lohans are trying to outdo each other**

**I own nothing**

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March 1st came much too soon for Ciel's liking. The moment he'd returned from Covington Park that day, he'd hastily gone through the trash bins and found every ball invitation he'd turned down. He searched and searched but couldn't find one for the first of March. Then he contacted all his factories and department stores, looking for something, _anything_, to keep him from going to this party.

It was like the universe was conspiring against him. There was nothing.

He tried not to think about it beforehand, but it was difficult. He threw himself into his work, and it succeeded in distracting him for a few hours; but consequently, he soon ran out of work to do. He thought about reading or practicing his violin, but neither of those were interesting prospects. He was so desperate he thought about calling Elizabeth. He quickly ruled it out as an option, however; the stupid party had been here idea, and he was certain that she'd blab on about it nonstop.

Sebastian hadn't fared much better. He'd begun working on Lady Elizabeth's cookies, but the mere thought of who he was making them for had him snapping the wooden utensils in two the entire time. Bard had come in somewhere in the middle of the process, only to be kicked (literally) back outside. Sebastian barely had the patience to tolerate that American on a good day- at that moment, Sebastian had feared he would kill the man.

Despite their mutual misgivings, they both loaded themselves into the carriage and headed out toward Elizabeth's estate. Ciel ordered Sebastian never to tell anyone, but he fell asleep in the carriage. He was exhausted; he'd been up half the night sifting through his closet for the outfit to wear today. He'd ended up in his usual blue uniform, complete with his cloak and top hat.

As it happens, Ciel and Francesca ended up at the mansion right around the same time. Ciel was coming down the step of the carriage when they walked up to the gate.

"Ah, Ciel," she cooed. "Long time, no see."

"Indeed," he said, trying to hide the fact that his heart was about to beat its way through his ribcage. "How have you been?"

She smiled, albeit a bit sarcastically. "My days have been most _productive_, thank you for asking."

Ciel noted that, once again, everyone had color coordinated. The rest of the group wore orange outfits, tailored to the warmer weather, but she had on red. He also noted that, once again, all the girls wore pants.

The wrought iron gates creaked open and Elizabeth shot out. On impulse, Ciel stepped to the right in an effort to avoid her grip, but he needn't have bothered; he wasn't the one she was interested in.

"Luna!" she cried, throwing her arms around Francesca's neck. "It's so good to see you again. I thought you'd been lost forever!"

Francesca returned the hug and said just as brightly, "Lady Elizabeth! It's lovely to see you as well!"

_Seriously, why isn't anyone correcting her? Her name is not Luna,_ Ciel wondered.

Elizabeth grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. The rest of the group quietly followed suit, leaving Ciel and Sebastian in the very back of the procession. Ciel eyed Sebastian, who was narrowing his eyes at her.

"Temper in check, got it?" Ciel demanded.

"I would not tarnish the Phantomhive family name with such an unattractive display of emotion," he replied, bowing at the waist. There was barely hidden fury under his words.

Satisfied, Ciel walked in. They quickly caught up with the rest of the group.

The picnic would be taking place under the balcony that led to the backyard. They all walked together through the gardens and past the small ponds; Elizabeth never stopped talking the entire way.

When they arrived at the front door of the mansion, Elizabeth's family was there waiting.

"Luna, darling! How you've been missed!" Frances exclaimed, opening her arms for a warm embrace.

"Thank you so much for this lovely party," she said. "It's simply divine."

_Why am I the only one who has to call her by this stupid name?_ Ciel wondered irately. _What the hell did_ _I do?_

"Well, come along," Frances said, leading the group into front door of the house. "We wouldn't want the tea to cool."

The eleven-person party proceeded through the lobby of the house. As always, Ciel was hit with the gaudiness of the mansion; a large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, pouring rainbows on the yellow walls. The tables throughout the room held various pieces of artwork, _none_ of which matched; a purple vase here, a green crystal bowl there. Painting of the family members hung from the walls, ranging from Frances and Elizabeth to some of her ancestors from the 1500's when their wealth had been established. The carpet underfoot was an off-white color, which didn't match the blue skies and fluffy white clouds that had been painted on the ceiling.

Ciel absolutely hated that; how the hell was he supposed to know when he was outside and when he wasn't?

They went through the back double-doors and walked outside to the large gazebo in the backyard. It was clear when they arrived the decorations had been organized by Elizabeth. Giant bulbs of flowers in every imaginable color sprouted from the bushes on ever side of the gazebo, and many of the vines reached out into the seating area as though they were trying to grab the children. The seats in the gazebo were upholstered with a pink and purple fabric so bright it looked almost neon.

But the kicker, in Ciel's opinion, was the fact that the gazebo was right next to a large pond with everything from lily pads to water lilies to duckies. Not ducks; duckies. They were so small and delicate that to call these animals _ducks_ would be an insult to ducks everywhere.

Elizabeth had outdone herself. The entire atmosphere was so girly that Ciel was slightly worried his manhood would shrivel and die inside his shorts.

"Come everyone, sit, sit!" Frances invited, higher in spirits than Ciel ever remembered seeing her. "Albert and Gustavo truly outdid themselves with the tea selection. Early Grey, a Chinese tea called _Bancha_, and a cream tea that is both simple and yet delicious."

Everyone moved toward the gazebo and sat on the tackily-covered benches. Ciel chose a purple bench, the manlier of the two colors. He ended up sharing the bench with Celine, the quiet girl with the piercings. Sebastian moved into action, unloading the basket and doling out the tea.

While the tea was being served, Elizabeth babbled on and on about how she was _soooooooooooooooooo happy to see Luna and all their friends again!_ and how much she couldn't wait to _go pick flowers and buy candy and pick out pretty puppies!_ To her credit, Francesca laughed and joked with her and agreed to all her insipid requests without the slightest hint of sarcasm. Quite a feat.

Sebastian finished handing out the cookies and stepped back into the shadows. Francesca lifted a cookie to her lips and took a ladylike bite out of the side.

Ciel could feel the tension appear almost instantaneously: Francesca was eating one of Sebastian's cookies. Sebastian was watching Francesca eat one of his cookies. _Francesca was going to make a comment about Sebastian's cookies_. Ciel knew it, Sebastian knew it, Francesca knew it; everyone else was completely oblivious to the hell that could rain down as the result of this comment.

She swallowed and took a sip of her tea. Ciel's seat was in such a position that he could see Sebastian's fists clench.

"These cookies are lovely," she remarked. "Did you make these yourself, Sebastian?"

"I did, my lady," he answered with all his usual verve, taking note not to portray any of the anger he was feeling.

Francesca simply smiled. "Divine."

Everyone else at the table expressed similar opinions to the confections. Sebastian just smiled and thanked everyone for their laudatory praises.

Ciel didn't buy it. This was _Francesca_ they were talking about. He had known her when they had been children, and if he had learned anything, it was that she was extremely critical. She could find something not to like about almost everything.

It's why she never stayed anywhere for very long.

The party went on. Frances and Alexis were the perfect party hosts. No one ran low on tea or snacks, and there was never a lull in the conversation. Ciel basically became a background fixture, watching the group laugh and play while he brooded over the fact that he lost a work day due to this.

He also noticed that Francesca's little gang had a lot more personality than the last time he'd met them. Rather than letting Francesca control the entire conversation, Paul and Jared entertained Lady Elizabeth with a battle of wits between them; Paul won by correctly explaining the difference between glasses and bifocals. Effie spent her time by shooting the breeze with Edward, who was positively smitten within two minutes. Even Celine talked to Ciel at one point.

"You own Funtom Company, don't you?" she asked him quietly, her accent lilting.

"Y-yes, I do," he replied, caught off guard she was even talking to him.

"My father works for your company in Germany," she said. "They treat him very well."

"Huh," he said. He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to say.

"We buy a lot from your company," she continued. "Francesca has quite the sweet tooth."

He knew. When they were children, he'd gotten into trouble many times for stealing candy from the shipments to give to her.

There was a small lapse in the conversation where the two simply sat and watched the others talk. Then Ciel remembered he had wondered something about Celine.

"I've been wondering," he told her. "How did you meet Francesca in Germany?"

"She saved my life," Celine said simply.

Oh. Okay.

_What?_

Before Ciel could even begin to wonder what that meant, the Midford's butler Greil ran outside to the gazebo, panic-stricken.

"My lady," he gasped. "Th-there's been a terrible incident. The Queen requests the aid of the British Knights. I told her you were in the middle of entertaining company, but-"

"That's alright," Alexis said, tossing his napkin back on the table. "The work of a Knight knows no rest. Edward, come, we're leaving."

"I'll come as well," Francis said, standing.

"Me too," Elizabeth said. "Maybe I can help. Plus, if not, I may be able to meet Her Majesty!"

"Sebastian," Ciel said automatically. "Go with them. Try and help the situation; and above all, _keep Elizabeth safe_."

"Yes, my lord," Sebastian said, bowing at the waist and following after the party.

It wasn't until Sebastian went around the bend of the house that Ciel realized he was alone.

With Francesca.

And all her friends.

"Guys," Francesca murmured quietly. "I'm sure Elizabeth would love it if you took a look at the flowers and ponds she had put here for the party." Everyone instantly scattered.

Okay, now he was all alone with just her. He was pretty sure that was worse.

They stared at each other in two different ways; Francesca measuring, Ciel in abject mortification, which he hoped he was hiding well. Slowly, like a hunter trying not to spook a wild deer, she stood and slowly sauntered around the table toward him. He watched her come around as she walked and then sat on the bench next to him. His heart was beating so rapidly he could hear it in his ears.

"Your fiancée really knows how to throw a party," she commented. He detected the scant amounts of sarcasm in her tone.

Here comes the criticism.

"You disliked it that much, huh?" he commented nonchalantly, keeping his eyes trained on his cup of tea.

"No, I loved it," she said with false enthusiasm. "I especially found Elizabeth's five minute monologue on stuffed animals to be just _riveting_."

"I see," he said. _She can't hear my heart from all the way over there, can she?_ He wondered.

"Don't get me wrong though," she said, crossing her legs and leaning against her hand. "I did enjoy myself. The food was wonderful."

"And the cookies?"

She smiled. "Dry."

_I knew it_, Ciel thought. "Why didn't you say anything? I know how you love to criticize everything."

Francesca tilted her head to the side in thought. "It _is_ my favorite pastime. In the beginning, I was going to. But truth be told, I'm glad I didn't."

Ciel's eyebrow cocked in surprise. "Why?"

"You sent your butler out into battle with _three_ British Knights. That tells me he's adept with a sword, and he's capable of protecting someone's life. I'm not going to make an enemy of someone like that."

"Too late."

She laughed. "He's still bitter about losing to us in that ice sculpture contest, isn't he?"

"He's a perfectionist, and it was my order that he win the contest. We were trying to get-"

"-the ring, I know," she interrupted, fanning out the fingers of her right hand and staring as though she was examining her nails.

That's when Ciel noticed she was wearing it. He had never seen it up this close, and he could see why it had been stolen again and again. The ring was magnificent; a blue colored diamond, set in a silver ring base that was carved to look like ivy curling around the gem. It reminded Ciel a lot of his own ring.

"Is that why you stole it?" he asked quietly.

"You can't steal what's already yours," she replied. "I was just trying to get it back."

"Liar."

The word hung in the air, filling the silence that ensued. Francesca turned her entire body toward Ciel and cocked an eyebrow. "_What_ did you say?"

Ciel would've backed down from her tone if he hadn't been so certain of the facts. "That ring belonged to the Archduke of Scotland and it was stolen from him during his stay at the Italian Embassy. You're lying."

At first, she didn't say anything- she just continued to look at him. Before he could become self conscious or anything, her shoulders started to shake. They started to shake hard.

It took Ciel a moment to realize she was laughing at him.

"Ciel," she sputtered, trying to get control of her breathing. "Ciel, dear boy, let me tell you something. The Archduke of Scotland was in Italy last week because he was visiting his _mistress_. You and I both know that anything he lost while he was there would never be reported because he never should've been there."

Ciel had never felt like such an idiot before. Of course he'd never report the missing ring. So who started that rumor?

"And even if I was lying, _you'd_ be the last person to ever notice."

Now it was Ciel's turn to be incredulous. "What does that mean?"

Francesca smiled. "While I'll be the first to admit that your lying skills are admirable, you are horrid when it comes to ferreting out other people's lies. You always assume that everyone is telling you the truth."

"That is not true," Ciel objected. "I can tell when someone is lying."

"Aw, it's so cute that you think that," she said, her tone patronizing.

"I _can_," he insisted.

"Oh, yeah?"

She leaned in close to him, and he didn't have room to back away. His heartbeat, which had steadily slowed over the course of their conversation, kicked up again and tried to come out his throat.

"_Prove it_."

The situation Her Majesty called her Knights for was hardly worth it; a band of Indian gypsies had decided to stage a protest by sitting on the edge of the Thames River and threatening to jump if the train conductors didn't give them a free ride back to their country. The conductors didn't want to grant them a free ride, not because they didn't want the Indians out of their country (which they did), but because they didn't want the English passengers all trying to get free rides by claiming suicide.

The main reason the Knights were called, as far as Sebastian could tell, was laziness on the part of Scotland Yard. The situation was solved in almost two minutes; Frances paid for all five Indians to ride the train, and that was that. Within ten minutes of arriving they were headed back to their party. Sebastian was quite pleased by the turn of events; he had done his job and could now return to guard over his contract bearer, the most important job he had.

He did not expect to find his master like this.

Ciel was sitting cross legged on the ground, his cape tossed to the side and forgotten. His tie had been taken off his neck and wrapped around his head. His shirt sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows, and the first three or four buttons of his shirt were undone. He had five playing cards in his hands and he was staring at them like they held the secrets to the universe.

Francesca was sitting across from him, her jacket also discarded. Her sleeves were coiled under her bra straps, one of her pant legs was all the way up to her mid thigh and the other up to her knee, (Edward took one look at her bare legs and turned red as blood,) and to top it off, she was wearing Ciel's top hat on her head at a strange angle. She was smiling broadly into her hand of cards.

The rest of the children were sitting around them, Paul and Celine on one side, and Effie and Mark on the other. All of them watched the ensuing card game like it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen.

The returning party stood and watched for a moment before Frances sputtered, "Wh-wh-_what is going on here?"_

Ciel whipped his head around, turning candy apple red at the sight of his butler's raised eyebrow, while Francesca laughed loudly.

"Ciel was trying to convince me of his lie detecting skills, which I believe to be nonexistent," she said. "So we decided to play a game of strip poker to test them. Ciel refused to strip completely."

Her explanation didn't really help their situation. Ciel was, after all, sitting on the ground indecently exposing himself to another girl all for the sake of his stupid pride. If Edward ever needed a reason for his sister to stay away from Ciel, this was the excuse he'd been waiting for.

"W-Well, Luna," Elizabeth stammered, looking everywhere but at her legs. "Who's winning?"

"Me," Ciel said confidently, switching two of the cards in his hand and sneering triumphantly.

"Oh, really?" Francesca asked. "You have a hand mighty enough to trump a _royal flush_?"

Ciel looked up from his cards and studied her face intently, forgetting the crowd behind him. She didn't flinch away from his gaze, only met it with ice blue pupils.

"You're bluffing," he said.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, arching an eyebrow questioningly.

He didn't have the slightest idea what kind of cards she had, but he absolutely refused to lose this game. "Positive."

She regarded him for a moment before cocking her head to one side. "Alright. If you're so confident, why don't we raise the stakes a little?"

"Go ahead," he challenged.

"If my hand is higher than yours, you have to have lunch with next Tuesday." She stuck her hand out for him to acquiesce.

His clever retort died on his lips. Lunch? She had played through this entire game with him simply so they could have lunch together?

He was immediately wary. What was Francesca's angle? Nothing with her was ever as it seemed; lunch had to be a setup for something else he wouldn't otherwise agree to.

Still, he was sure he had this called correctly. He'd been observing her all through the game, and he'd realized that her tell was rubbing her thumbnail over her lips, which she was doing right now. He didn't have to worry about going to lunch with her so long as he won.

With all the confidence he could muster, he reached out and took her hand. "You're on."

They pumped their hands one good time and then let go. Ciel glanced away from his cards and rejoiced on the inside when he saw she was still rubbing her nail over her bottom lip. He laid down his cards triumphantly.

"Straights. In diamonds," he declared.

Mark and Effie, who were on his side of the circle and therefore couldn't see Francesca's cards, 'oooh'-ed. Francesca simply smiled and laid out her cards.

"Here's your hat back," she said, laying it on the ground beside him as he stared in disbelief at the royal flush she'd just laid down. "See you next Tuesday; two-thrity, the Rivenna Café."

She stood and fixed her outfit so it was socially acceptable and turned to Elizabeth and her family. "Thank you all for inviting us to the party," she said, smiling brightly. "It was fantastic fun."

Ciel hadn't moved.

"Well, thank you all for coming," Elizabeth said, casting a worried glance at her fiancée. "We'll have to get together again soon."

"Oh, I agree," Francesca said. "We must be going now. See you later!"

The rest of her friends stood and exchanged the necessary pleasantries with the Midfords, who walked them to the front entrance of the mansion.

Ciel _still_ hadn't moved.

When they were alone, Sebastian walked up behind his master and shook his head, sighing. "Honestly, my lord. I'm ashamed you fell for that."

"Shut up!"


	5. They Have Lunch

**Soooo... it's been a while.**

**I can honestly say I have no excuse for not updating in so long. I didn't forget about the story, I was just uncertain about the way I wanted their next meeting to go, and then I had a bad case of writers block, and then I had exams, and _then_ I had to graduate high school. But I'm all done, and that means more updates for you!**

**I tried to tone down on the descriptions, because it was getting to be a bit much, but now I worry it's not descriptive enough. -_-. There's just no happy medium. **

**Anyway, on with the story! **

**Copyright: I own nothing.**

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Ciel woke up Tuesday morning to Sebastian drawing back the drapes. "Good morning, my young lord," he said, smiling in that evilly annoying way he always did.

"Mmph," Ciel said.

"I'm afraid I am remiss this morning; it is already eleven o'clock. Luckily, we had no meetings for the morning. At noon today, the gardener is coming with the new tulip bulbs for the front walkway, and they need your approval before they are planted. You have couple of free hours, and then at two- thirty, you have a meeting with Viscount Maverry to go over-"

"At two-thirty, I have a lunch appointment with Francesca at The Rivenna Café," Ciel corrected.

Sebastian was quiet. "Ah. So you intended to honor that commitment."

"I lost the game, Sebastian. I am a man of my word; I will have lunch with her today."

Sebastian didn't say anything. "I see. I will call the Viscount then."

He left swiftly from the room, leaving Ciel to dress himself. Leaving a room swiftly was Sebastian's way of saying he was mad. Ciel stared in disbelief; he'd never seen Sebastian so angry he'd left without helping his master get dressed. This thing with Francesca went deep with him, it seemed.

His attitude grated on Ciel's nerves. He didn't want to go either, but at least he wasn't acting like a spoiled brat who didn't get his way. He could've bitched about the fact that he was losing _yet another_ work day due to her, but he was bigger than that.

Well, whatever, Ciel thought as he surveyed his clothes, figuring out what each piece was for. Let Sebastian act like a baby. He'd just better be on his best behavior at lunch.

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"You're necktie is crooked, my lord," Sebastian criticized as he helped Ciel down from the carriage in front of the specified restaurant.

"I wonder who's fault that is," Ciel grouched.

Sebastian smirked but nonetheless reached out and corrected his master's neckwear. The pair then entered the lowlit restaurant. They caught more than a few stares as they entered, and it wasn't hard to see why. It was a restaurant where people of all walks of life were welcome, but Ciel seemed to be the only one on a wealthy path. The majority of the patrons were either merchant workers or nursemaids, and it wasn't the cleanest of places. Maybe he was being a snob, but Ciel could swear he saw a cloud of dust appear every time the kitchen door swung.

Ciel noticed Francesca immediately, because he'd been looking so he could avoid her. Unfortunately for him, she'd been watching the door so she could catch him when he came in. When he found her, she was gazing directly at him.

She stood as they approached. He couldn't help but notice she was wearing a semblance of decent attire- a sky blue skirt that had a cream colored blouse tucked into it. Still, it was too short. It barely touched her knees and showed off her legs in a way Ciel knew was going to make this a very long lunch.

The two of them sat in the booth while Sebastian remained standing, slightly unsure of what to do. His first move normally would've been to get them refreshments, but there was already two cups of tea and a small tray of cookies on the table. There wasn't anyone else he could observe and follow; he was the only 'd never been in a situation like this, and he wasn't sure how exactly he was supposed to behave.

Francesca seemed to have noticed this, because she said, "Ciel, do be a dear and dismiss your butler. We won't be needing him this afternoon."

Sebastian's temper blazed at being deemed unnecessary, but Ciel muttered, "Sebastian, go to the market and buy what we need from the grocer. I'll call for you when I leave."

Sebastian looked at his master in disbelief. Had Ciel just taken an order from _another person_?

Ciel was _always_ telling Sebastian that he was his own master, that he never took orders from anyone else because no one controlled him. What was the history between Ciel and this girl? "My lord?"

"Go," Ciel hissed. "That's an order."

After another beat, Sebastian bowed to the kids and took his leave. Ciel watched out the window as the carriage pulled away and he was left with Francesca.

"Aristocracy's a funny thing, isn't it?" she said amiably, fiddling with the sugar dispenser. "A grown man, filled with wisdom and experiece, and here he is, bowing to two children who aren't even half his age. And why? Because he was born to the hoi polloi and we were born into the elite."

"What's your point?" Ciel asked irately, trying and failing to hide his anxiety behind bravado.

"It's one of the reasons I left this country," she said. "I was just thinking you might be wondering."

"I'm wondering why you coerced me into joining you for lunch today," Ciel told her. "I couldn't care less why you left."

He had cared, once. The wondering used to keep him up late at night, his thoughts running in circles as he tried to work out why all his friends had abandoned him.

But he was older now, and he had other priorities. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted by such fruitless thoughts.

She smirked. "Always right to the point with you, isn't it?"

"I don't see the point in forestalling the inevitable."

"Such a shame, I do enjoy the foreplay."

She pulled the sugar closer to her and spooned a liberal amount into her teacup. Ciel reached for his own and drank it straight without any added sugars.

"I asked you to come here because I think I may be able to help you," she said delicately.

He gazed questioningly at her over his teacup. "What on earth could you possibly help me with?"

She stared at him for the moment, measuring him with her eyes. He subconsiously straightened up under her scrutiny.

"First, let me offer my condolences," she spoke quietly. "About your parents. I heard while we were in Munich."

And just like that, Ciel shut down. Every emotion he was feeling, every thought he was having was frozen into place. He refused to let himself remember that day, refused to even think about it. His mind went into shielding mode. He focused entirely on the present situation, thinking only about the feeling of the teacup in his hand and the sounds cresting over him in waves.

Francesca wasn't done. "To lose both your parents and your home at the same time...I can't imagine what that must've felt like. I'm truly sorry for everything you lost, Ciel."

He nodded once, accepting that she was sorry for his loss but utterly unable to think of what he'd lost in his protective state. He took another sip of his tea. His body was on automatic.

Francesca leaned forward, whispering now. "But I know your father was the Queen's Watchdog. I know that, as his son, you've taken over in his place."

She held her hand out to him, like she was offering it for a kiss. The Shard of Hope was still on her index finger. "And I know why you needed this."

Now that they were in safer waters, Ciel's mind stripped itself of its barriers and he was able to think again. He took a deep breath and settled into the peeling fabric of the bench. "I'm listening."

She looked around furitvely before telling him, "Like you, I have a large network of people who collect information for me. One such person is Ms. Emily Tabourn, a governess for the Seymor house. She keeps me informed on the going-ons in West Hartfortshire. Recently she informed me that her young charge, Ms. Mayberry Grace Seymore, has gone missing."

Ciel sat up a little straighter.

"Naturally, I had my other contacts look into the matter, and I discovered that the daughters of many other affluent families were all going missing. I did some digging, and I found a common interest among them."

"The ring," Ciel said.

"You would think, but no."

He started. "No? Then what?"

"At least one member of every family regularly visits an obscure monastary in Preston, Lancashire. Normally, this wouldn't be any cause for attention, except the fact that according to the books, this particular monastery has been abandoned for almost twenty years."

It took him but a moment to understand. "It's a cover."

"Yes. We think the missing girls and whatever goes on in that monastery are connected."

Ciel's brow creased. "But why are you telling me and not Scotland Yard?"

"Police Chief Ackerman, the man in charge of all the Scotland Yard and who reports directly to the queen, is one of the men who has lost his daughter. Any information I would bring to Scotland Yard would have to go through him, where it would promptly dissappear. The only way for the information to be any good would be for it to bypass him entirely, and, well.."

She grinned at him now. "You're the only person I know who can get a letter to the Queen in a day."

Ciel took his chin in his hand and nodded thoughtfully, digesting everything he'd been told. Sebastian would have to check the monastery, of course, and perhaps an anonymous tip to Abberline could get the ball rolling on an investigation; if enough Yardsmen knew about the monastery, Ackerman wouldn't be able to brush it under the rug.

"I'll look into it," he told her, taking another swig of his tea.

"Good," Francesca said simply, standing. "Then I'll take my leave."

Ciel was surprised. Not that he wanted her to stay, or anything, but it had only been about ten minutes. "Already? I thought you wanted me to have lunch."

She smirked. "I did. That was the foreplay, which you oh-so rudely denied me the pleasure of having. Besides, it's almost three."

She reached back into the booth to gather her jacket. "I have a standing appointment every day at two, but in light of our lunch date, I had it pushed back an hour. If I'm late, I'll have to wait until tomorrow."

Ciel stood too, swiping another cookie off the tray. "I'll leave as well; if we're not actually going to have lunch, there's no point in my staying."

The pair paid for the snack and walked outside, shivering in the new-spring air. Early spring in London was still just winter, after all. Francesca shrugged into her jacket and the two stood side by side, neither moving.

"Ciel," Francesca said abruptly. Ciel looked at her out of the corner of his good eye.

"I know you may not be happy with your engagement, and I know how Elizabeth bothers you, because, well, she bothers me too. But I don't think it's right for you to ignore her the way you do."

Now, he knew Francesca to say some pretty strange things, but that comment was _clear _out of left field. "What?"

"I know you don't have time to entertain her every fancy, but the least you could do is write to the girl. She sits at home with nothing to do but write you letters, and I'm willing to bet more than half of them end up in the trash with the sealing wax intact."

"What goes on with me and Elizabeth is none of your business," Ciel declared hotly. How dare she imply that he didn't care for his fiancee? She'd only been back in town for two weeks, and already she thought she was qualified to give him relationship advice? Not bloody likely.

"You make a lot of enemies in your line of work. You should know Elizabeth isn't safe," she persisted. "If you want to protect her, you need to talk to her. The more you talk to her, the more it lets your enemies know that you'll notice if she dissappears."

Her tone became sinister "And with all the recent dissappearances going on, she's in more danger than ever."

That crossed a line. He grabbed her arm, roughly, and glared at her. "What are you saying?" he asked dangerously.

Francesca responded with a glare that froze him to the spot. "_Worry about Elizabeth_," she hissed.

With that, she turned and stalked around the corner. When Ciel regained his control, he was livid. What was she implying, that someone was out to get Elizabeth? What did she know?

He turned the corner after Francesca. He caught a glimpe of her turning into an alleyway, and he sprinted after her. "Francesca!" He turned into the alleyway.

She wasn't there.

His blood boiled as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. "Sebastian," he called.

A gust of wind, and then: "You called for me, my lord."

"Take me home. _Now_."

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They arrived at the mansion within a moment of the order. The second Ciel's feet touched the ground, Mey Rin ran out of the mansion, clearly panicked.

"Thank goodness you're here, sir," she rasped, her thick accent rendering her words almost unintelligible. "Awful, it's just awful!"

"_What's_ awful?" Ciel asked, immediately worried.

She pointed to the door. Alexis Midford, Elizabeth's father, was in the door. His face was streaked with tears.

Ciel felt the blood leave his own face. _"Elizabeth,"_ he whispered.

"Gone," her father choked out. "She's gone."

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**Eeeh, so I'm iffy about the ending, but on the whole I like this chapter. It sets up the framework for the next big event in the story.**

**Thoughts?**


End file.
